1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to covers for truck beds and, more particularly, to hard covers for truck beds.
2. Related Art
Pickup trucks such as the Ford F-150 truck, and the like have a cabin portion for seating passengers and a bed portion for hauling cargo. The bed portion of a pickup truck is open to the outside environment. Accordingly, any cargo in the bed portion of such a truck is subject to the elements, and is exposed to rain, snow, wind, and sunlight. Because certain cargos should not be subjected to the elements, and because some truck owners prefer to avoid having the bed portion exposed to the elements, the bed portions are covered by bed covers.
Bed covers may typically fall within one of two classes: soft bed covers and hard bed covers. Soft bed covers are made from a fabric material and are snapped to mating snaps placed around the top edge of the truck bed. Structural support for soft covers are generally provided by arched ribs placed normal to the sides of the truck. The arched ribs assist in preventing the soft cover from cupping and resultant water retention.
The arched ribs do not provide adequate support for any load other than the soft cover. For example, a person could not stand on the soft cover without damaging the cover and the underlying ribs. In addition, an impression of the arched ribs is visible under the soft cover such that a smooth outer appearance is not presented.
Hard covers refer essentially to fiberglass-type covers. These covers can provide adequate support for other loads. A person can stand on a fiberglass cover without damaging the cover. In addition, unlike the situation for soft covers, no supporting structure is visible through the top of the cover. The fiberglass cover may be curved, as the soft cover, to prevent water from accumulating thereon.
The manufacturing process to produce a single fiberglass cover is an extensive one. First, the mold is cleaned. After several uses, the mold is both cleaned and polished. Then, a release agent is applied to the mold. Next, a resin called GELCOAT is sprayed over the release agent. This resin need to be cured. After the resin has tacked, a blown, chopped glass-resin mixture is blown with a chopper gun over the GELCOAT resin to achieve a layer of approximately 0.09 to 0.13 inches. Then, the chopped glass-resin mixture is rolled down in a process referred to in the art as xe2x80x9cwetting itxe2x80x9d to eliminate air bubbles. At this time, any desired structural supports are inserted like foamboard or special cardboard or plywood. Then, another coat of chopped glass-resin mixture is sprayed. This must be then permitted to set with a setting time of approximately 15 minutes. While the mixture is still elastic, the cover is then hand trimmed. After trimming, the cover must be permitted to set for another half hour to an hour. Accordingly, the entire process for making one cover may take from 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the cover and the features ordered for the cover. After the cover is produced, the mold is cleaned (and sometimes polished) and the process is repeated.
A fiberglass cover may typically weigh between 100 and 200 pounds. This weight may make lifting the cover more difficult. While the top of the cover has a smooth, pleasing appearance, the underside of the cover does not have a finished appearance. The retail price of a fiberglass cover is approximately $700 which is approximately three hundred percent more than the retail cost of a soft cover. Because of the manufacturing process, many different materials must be used which increases manufacturing costs and environmental objections. In addition, the manufacturing process is very time consuming because of the curing times involved.
Thermoplastic truck bed covers have been utilized in lieu of fiberglass cover. However, these single-walled bed covers do not have structural support adequate to sustain appreciable loads placed on the top of the cover, such as the load presented by a person standing on the bed cover.
There is a need in the art to provide a cover that can provide adequate support without displaying an outline of the structural support through the top of the cover.
There is a need in the art to provide a truck bed cover utilizing a material other than fiberglass to avoid environmental objections.
There is a need in the art to provide a truck bed cover manufactured using a process that is more efficient than the process of manufacturing fiberglass truck covers.
There is a need in the art to provide a stiff truck bed cover that is lighter than a fiberglass truck bed cover to make lifting the cover easier.
It is in the view of the above problems that the present invention was developed. The invention is a truck bed cover made from thermoplastic material. The top of the truck bed cover has a relatively smooth appearance. The underside of the bed cover comprises a support structure utilizing xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d-type supports made from a plastic material and unitarily formed, without the use of a separate fastener. In a preferred embodiment, four xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d-type supports are utilized. A typical bed cover typically weighs less than 75 pounds excluding hardware for greater ease of handling, without loss of structural support strength from loads placed on the top of the bed cover over fiberglass covers that typically weigh between 100 and 200 pounds.
The truck bed cover is of double-wall construction, with the top of the cover having a relatively smooth appearance, and the underside of the cover presenting a smooth surface of structural supports. Both the top and the underside of the cover may be made from the same material.
The manufacturing process of the bed cover of the present invention is simplified such that the total time to manufacture the cover is on the order of magnitude of twenty minutes. The manufacturing process utilizes fewer materials, and creates waste that can be recycled. Accordingly, the manufacturing process is less costly and more environmentally benign over the manufacturing process for fiberglass bed covers.
Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.